Cheryl’s career: from Girls Aloud to The Greatest Dancer

Cheryl – born Cheryl Tweedy in Newcastle in 1983 – first rose to fame in 2002 by taking part in reality TV programme Popstars: The Rivals.

She, along with Nicola Roberts, Sarah Harding, Kimberley Walsh and Nadine Coyle, won a place in girl group Girls Aloud and went on to score the Christmas number one of that year with their debut single, Sound Of The Underground.

The group had a total of four UK number one singles and 21 UK top 10s, according to the Official Charts Company.

Girls Aloud in 2003 (Ian West/PA)

In 2009 Girls Aloud announced they were taking a short break but reunited in 2012 for their 10th anniversary.

In March 2013, after their final concert in Liverpool, they announced on Twitter that they were splitting up indefinitely.

Cheryl launched a successful solo career and has released four solo albums – 3 Words, Messy Little Raindrops, A Million Lights and Only Human, her most recent effort, which came out in 2014.

The pop star recently revealed she is working on a new album, which has been co-written with her former Girls Aloud co-star Roberts.

Cheryl performing solo on Children In Need in 2010 (Yui Mok/PA)

As a solo artist, Cheryl has had five number one singles and two number one albums.

As well as her music career, she has enjoyed a run of high-profile TV jobs.

The 35-year-old joined The X Factor as a judge in 2008 and during that time she mentored two winners – Alexandra Burke and Joe McElderry.

She left the show in 2010 before re-joining in 2014, following a short stint as a judge on the US version of The X Factor in 2011.

She was sensationally fired by Simon Cowell before the show even aired.

She later said in an interview with the Evening Standard magazine that Cowell had done the “right thing to remove her”.

“I was suffering from a lot of things – heartache, confusion – I was in a dark place,” she said.

Cheryl on The X Factor in 2008 (Ken McKay/PA)

Following her X Factor return in 2014, she remained for two series, and in 2015 mentored runners-up Reggie N Bollie.

In 2017, she made a brief return to The X Factor to help Cowell during the judges’ houses stage.

Cheryl welcomed her first child in March last year, a son called Bear, with now-ex partner Liam Payne, of One Direction fame.

The singer is very involved in charitable work and has set up her own organisation alongside The Prince’s Trust – Cheryl’s Trust.

Earlier this year she opened her centre in Newcastle.

She said she still relates to young people in the North East, despite her fame and success.

“You never forget,” she told the Press Association. “I have never forgotten how I felt as a teenager.

“It’s tough growing up in the North East, especially now the unemployment rate is ridiculous.

Cheryl leaves after opening the new Prince’s Trust and Cheryl’s Trust centre in Newcastle (Danny Lawson/PA)

“So, if we can help one, two, three, four people a year, let alone thousands or hundreds, get a job or get on their feet with their own business, then I have done more than my fair share.”

In 2003, Cheryl was charged with assault after becoming involved in an incident with toilet attendant Sophie Amogbokpa at a club in Guildford, Surrey.

She was later cleared of the racially aggravated assault charge against her but was found guilty of assault and was ordered to pay a £3,000 fine and complete 120 hours of community service.

She will appear alongside Glee star Matthew Morrison and Strictly Come Dancing professional Oti Mabuse as a dance captain on BBC One’s new show, The Greatest Dancer.